


one good thing

by nobodysusername



Category: Marvel (Comics), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Coda, Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling, M/M, Marvel Empyre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25451524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobodysusername/pseuds/nobodysusername
Summary: “I’m worried about Teddy,” David says. It feels confessional, telling Tommy that, because in their line of work there’s not a lot of room for worrying. And Teddy’s probably—in fact, he literallyis—the person best equipped in the universe to deal with a Kree-Skrull crisis, whatever that crisis may be. But still.
Relationships: David Alleyne/Tommy Shepherd
Comments: 3
Kudos: 45





	one good thing

**Author's Note:**

> happy canon thinkfast day everybody

David watches Tommy enthusiastically eat his fries, his own plate of overpriced bar food untouched. The episode with Teddy was—weird. But life is just kind of like that when you’re a superhero, even when you’re retired (or semiretired).

“Tommy,” David says.

“Hm?” Tommy looks up, wielding a clutch of fries. His plate’s practically cleared, even though they’ve only just been served.

“I’m worried about Teddy,” David says. It feels confessional, telling Tommy that, because in their line of work there’s not a lot of room for worrying. And Teddy’s probably—in fact, he literally _is_ —the person best equipped in the universe to deal with a Kree-Skrull crisis, whatever that crisis may be. But still. Nothing good has ever come from a confrontation in a bar.

Tommy hesitates, then sets the last few fries back on his plate. “Me too,” he admits, wiping his fingers on a napkin. “It sucks that they can just whisk him away like that.”

“Do you think anything will happen here on Earth?” David asks. Tommy shakes his head.

“I think whatever it is, it’s out of our hands—at least for now. And if Teddy does what they want him to, it might not ever be our problem. But who knows, right?”

David nods. “Weird way to end a night out,” he says, half-smiling as he recalls the brawl. Weird yet somehow familiar. Life as a superhero had been unpredictable, and it’s nice to be thrown back into it once in a while. Especially when the stakes feel so low (Teddy’s destiny has been chasing him for longer than David’s known him; this was only a matter of time, really).

“Who said it’s over?” Tommy grins. He flings a fry at David, who yelps in protest and deflects it onto the table.

“You’re a child,” David admonishes, but he’s grinning in spite of himself.

“You like it,” Tommy answers, cheeky. David rolls his eyes.

He’s still thinking about Teddy, but after a moment he pushes the subject out of his mind. There’s nothing he can do from here in Jersey. He looks at Tommy, who’s finished his fries and is eyeing David’s burger.

“So are we going to have to get drunk to make out this time?” David asks, raising his eyebrows. Maybe he’s pushing the envelope, but tonight’s as good a night as any, and they’ve been doing this dance for far too long now. Even Teddy’s fed up, though that probably has more to do with the third wheeling than his interest in his friends’ love lives.

Tommy looks at him, considering. “I know you’re not the lightweight you pretend you are, and you know I metabolize things way too fast to get drunk on beer,” he says, leaning forward on the table. The look in his eye is positively predatory.

“So we’ll skip it,” David decides for them both. “Beer breath is disgusting, anyways.”

Tommy leans back against the booth, closing his eyes. “What we do is a kind of dating,” he says. David doesn’t argue, because he thinks that Tommy really believes what he says. He also thinks Tommy’s eyes are closed to hide his vulnerability. David gets that; he knows better than to take things too fast.

Tommy opens his eyes. “You gonna eat that?” he asks, gesturing to David’s untouched plate. David shakes his head, and Tommy draws it to his side of the table. “You’re the best.”

“I know,” David says, watching as Tommy bites into it. He’s even beautiful eating a burger the size of Hulk’s fist, but David already knew that.

David pays the bill when they’re done, because he’s in a chivalrous (maybe even romantic) mood, and because it’s his turn, and as they exit the bar he throws his arm around Tommy’s shoulders.

“You’re a pretty good date,” he says. Tommy grins.

“Does that mean I can see you again?” he asks, teasing.

“I’m planning the next one,” David answers with authority. “And it won’t be at a dive bar, for once.”

“Wine and dine me, baby,” Tommy says into David’s ear. David can practically hear his lecherous smile.

He turns his head so that they’re more or less face-to-face, though still leaning into one another. “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” he says back, grinning in a way he hopes is appropriately wolfish.

They kiss there, alone under the street light, feeling sober and alive. 

(Okay, David concedes, _one_ good thing has come from a confrontation in a bar.)


End file.
